Easter

Seven strange Easter traditions around the world

Did you know how other nations celebrate Easter around the world? That French kids do not get chocolate from the Easter bunny, but from the church bells? And that Finnish people celebrate by watching the grass grow? Travelo.hu collected seven strange Easter traditions from around the world.

It’s not the Easter bunny who gives children chocolate in France, in the Netherlands, and in Belgium, but bells. The reason for that is on old custom: the bells do not toll in the churches before Easter to remember Christ’s death. Children are told that all the bells have gone to Rome to visit the Pope, and on their way back they bring some chocolate as a present.

In certain parts of Switzerland and Germany wells are decorated with colourful eggs, flowers, and paper ribbons, usually placed out on Good Friday, and taken off two weeks after Easter. The custom of Easter wells or Osterbrunnen originates from early 20th century Bavaria, and it soon spread to nearby regions. As Easter is a holiday of spring and renewal, wells, which give the water necessary for life, become decorated.

The well-decorating custom was really popular in the 1980s: countless tourists have visited the Heiligenstadt and Bieberbach wells, and the latter is even recorded in the Guinness World Records, because it was decorated with 11,000 hand-painted eggs in 2001.

Since the 18th century men, painted in black, dance on the streets on Easter Sunday in Bacup, a small city in East of England. The men are dressed in black and white, wear a red striped skirt, and have a garland around their neck with the national colours. The citizens remember the Moors (this is why their faces are painted black) who used to cast anchor there.

In Norway no one works for five days, and kids do not go to school. All the shops and offices are closed – except on Saturday. To pass time, everyone is reading crime novels, and all there is on TV are detective movies. Even the milk cartons are decorated with short crime stories, to have something to read while eating breakfast.

From year to year some “heavily religious” people in the Philippines want to relive, to re-experience the suffering that Christ had to endure, and decide to be crucified. The Roman Catholic Church is against this custom, but their request is not taken seriously. Thousands of people are watching this bizarre custom every year.

Finnish people are way calmer: they simply watch the grass grow. If the grass in the bowl starts growing, kids decorate it with colourful eggs and paper bunnies; this is how they celebrate fertility and spring.

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Easter superstitions in Hungary

Easter is one of the most important celebrations in Christian countries. We’ve previously published an article about Hungary’s beautiful variation of different folkways and traditions that are connected to this festivity. Easter Sunday is dominated by traditions connected to religious ceremonies, while Easter Monday is the time for family get-togethers and folkways. But did you know that many superstitions can also be connected to Easter? Nlcafe.hu collected some of these superstitions and we wanted to share them with you!

People have always been attracted by magical imponderables so it’s no surprise that different superstitions and beliefs ended up being associated with them. Superstitions are not always accompanied by negative feelings; indeed, people frequently hope that their fate would change for the better with certain rituals.

Let’s go on with superstitions connected to Easter celebrations. The 40 day fast is the preparation for purgation and salvation. The Holy Week, before the celebration, starts with Palm Sunday, when Jesus stepped across the gate of Jerusalem according to the Bible. As tradition has it, it is prohibited to work on Palm Sunday; however jollities are permitted all the more. Planting flowers doesn’t count as work and according to superstition, if you sow seeds on Palm Sunday, your flowers will be much more scented than others’.

The magical spring catkin is also girdled with many superstitions. For instance, Greeks believe that if they put it into the spout of the gutter, it will protect them from lightning. The blessed Easter catkin is thought to have curing powers. It is believed that if you swallow a piece of catkin when getting out of the church, then you’ll be protected from stomach issues and sore throat. And if Easter falls into March, then it is not rewarding to lend it to someone.

See our photo gallery of how Easter traditions look like in Hungary!

According to another popular folkway, it is worth wearing new clothes at Easter because you’ll be fortunate in the whole year. On the other hand, consuming honey in any form is not suggested at Easter because it brings misfortune. If you are brave enough then you should try bathing in cold water on the first day of Easter because it is believed that you’ll be fresh and healthy in the whole year. This might be the origin of the famous Hungarian tradition, sprinkling the girls with water.

Easter wouldn’t be Easter without Easter eggs. Traditions have it that the giving of colourfully painted eggs represents resurrection and the revival of life. Nlcafe.hu finds it interesting that they also connect the four elements to the eggs representing a new life: the egg shell represents the earth element, the inner skin is the element of air, and the egg white is water, while the egg yolk is fire.

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Read about the most special Hungarian Easter egg here!

The following superstitions are connected to the blessing of the food. It is still a practiced tradition in the Catholic Church, even though it originates from the 10th century. If there are leftovers from the Easter feast then you don’t have to worry about them anymore since it is believed that leftover food have magical powers. In former times, they hung the bones of the blessed Easter ham onto fruit trees because they believed that this would bring them a wealthy harvest. They gave the crumbs of the Easter milk-loaf to the hens so that they would lay many eggs. One blessed egg was eaten by two people so that if they got lost they would remember who they had eaten the egg with.

Read about traditional Easter dishes in Hungary here!

Lastly, as we’ve previously mentioned the sprinkling of girls, we want to share with you a poem that you can use if you happen to go sprinkling. Sprinkling originates from the ancient rite of fertility and purgation. In former times, men used to go from house to house to drag out young girls and pour them with a bucket of water. Sprinkling is very popular even nowadays, although in a gentler form: boys and men sprinkle the girls with cologne generally; however in the countryside, sprinkling with cold well-water is still common.

Down below you can read probably the most popular sprinkler poem:

“Wandering through the woods nearby,
 A lonely daisy caught my eye.
Without rain she seemed to wither,
So I’d thought I’d bring my sprinkler.”

(“Zöld erdőben jártam,
Kék ibolyát láttam
El akart hervadni
Szabad-e locsolni?”)

Read more about sprinkling and other Hungarian Easter traditions HERE!!

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Giant Easter Egg in Pécs

Easter egg installation on Széchényi Square in Pécs. The six-foot egg has been created by Croatia Kapronca-Körös County artists and donated to the city of Pécs. March 25, 2016.

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Church heads send Easter messages in Hungary

Budapest, March 26 (MTI) – Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross to free mankind “from the trap of its wickedness” and thereby broke the “shell of history”, Cardinal Péter Erdő, head of Hungary’s Catholic Church, told MTI in his Easter message.

Cardinal Erdő, Archbishop of Budapest-Esztergom, said this divine behaviour shows history and the world in a different light.

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“Even though the horizon sometimes seems dark and hatred seems to prevail, … the sky of history can still clear up and the sun of divine love can shine over us again”, he added.

The head of the Hungarian Reformed Church’s synod, Istvan Bogárdi Szabó, said the history of mankind is a series of crises, but Christ’s resurrection introduces mercy in the history of cruelties.

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The crucial and overriding message of Christianity is that “if we look at Christ’s resurrection, we can see the mercy in .. hopelessness and this mercy has the capacity to change us”, the Protestant bishop said.

Hatred, violence and fear cannot have the last word, and violence is certainly not the right answer to violence; this is the painfully topical message of Easter this year, Péter Gáncs, the head of the Lutheran Church of Hungary, told MTI.

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He said the world has been unwilling for two-thousand years to listen to what Jesus has got to say: that mankind cannot be led to peace with arms and violence.

Photo: MTI

The easiest way to decorate Easter eggs – VIDEO

If you’ve never dyed Easter eggs before or haven’t had much success, you should try this super simple method, nlcafe.hu writes.

You will need the following things:
– egg dyes in different colours
– plastic cups
– eggs
– water
– vinegar
– coloured marker pens

  1. Fill the plastic cups with water, following the instructions on the packaging of the egg dye kit. Add two teaspoons of vinegar and the dye, then stir to dissolve.
  2. Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 15 minutes, then wait for them to cool.
  3. Place an egg into each of the cups. Top up with water if necessary, so the eggs are covered. Leave them to sit for an hour, occasionally checking how effective the dye is.
  4. When ready, lift them out with a spoon onto a paper towel. Make sure they don’t touch.
  5. Once they are dried, decorate them by drawing faces, patterns or personalised messages with coloured markers.

Copy editor: bm

Easter programmes in Hungary for bath lovers

Easter is almost here, and you’re likely to get a few days off from work to relax and enjoy the warm weather. Termalfurdo.hu collected several programmes for those who would like to spend their extra days in one of Hungary’s fascinating baths.

The Zsóry Thermal Bath and Spa in Mezőkövesd is going to be transformed for Easter to show the tradition called Matyó, and even the eggs will be painted in a Matyó style. Everything that is needed to have a great Easter will be in the Spa, and guests will have the chance to see several shows, folklore games, fairs, and participate in an egg searching game.

For those who are going to spend the holiday in the Northern part of the Great Plains such as Hajdúszoboszló or Debrecen, visiting the Hortobágy National Park is a must. Although there are no specific guidelines how peoples of the past celebrated Easter in the Great Plains, the clear water from a shadoof, new-born lambs and goats, foals of wide horses, the twittering of the many different birds  are things that still make a visit worth. There will be special Easter programmes on 26-28 March.

Eger and Egerszalók are among the most popular Easter destinations. The offered programmes in these cities include traditional Easter customs, egg painting and decorating, explanations on how to do egg writing, and other tricks.

Besides having a petting zoo, the Nyíregyházi Zoo has many folklore programmes for Easter Monday, such as traditional sprinkling, street theatre and street market. Different religions will present their respective traditional meals. Those who visit the skanzen (open air museum), can participate in the egg painting and food making process, and they can also collect traditional sprinkling poems.

Budapest will host a tasty gastronomy event: the Lamb Festival. Sheep-breeders from all over the Carpathian basin will participate, there will be a live animal show, and visitors can taste the best Hungarian and foreign lamb meals. Besides meat, lambs’ wool can also be used in a thousand ways. Visit the festival and find out how.

Hollókő is part of the UNESCO World Heritage, which is a guarantee for having a great time. The Hollókői Easter Festival is all about feeling good and relaxing, with folklore programmes, Palóc cuisine, Easter traditions, sprinkling, concerts, and family programmes.

Those who spend the holiday at Hévíz should take a walk in the city to discover all it has to offer during Easter, including toy houses, theatrical and dance shows, concerts and fairs.

The Büki Easter Gaiety provides an excellent opportunity for visitors on Easter Monday to get to know the Easter traditions, do some handicraft, and see traditional wooden toys. For those who spend Easter in Harkány or Siklós, it’s highly recommended to drive to Pécs and visit the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter for interesting Easter programmes and concerts.

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Budapest is the cheapest Easter break destination, the Mirror revealed

If you want to take a break this Easter, Budapest is your best bet. Compared to other popular European holiday destinations, you can get the most for your money in the Hungarian capital, the Mirror found.

A day spent in Budapest costs only £28.11 (€35.61), while in Barcelona or Rome you can easily spend twice as much on a day out.

In Budapest you can get a travel pass for £4.12 (€5.22), a glass of wine for £1.75 (€2.22), a Big Mac for £2 (€2.53), and take a half-hour journey by taxi for £16.24 (€20.57).

The study found that the same day in Rome would cost £50.48 (€63.95), with £5.52 (€6.99) for a travel card, £3.17 (€4.02) for a Big Mac, £5.52 (€6.99) for a museum pass and £31.54 (€39.96) for a rather costly taxi ride.

These are the most common things tourists spend on, but the prices can be hugely different from city to city.

10 cheapest destinations for an Easter holiday
Budapest – £28.11 (€35.61)
Prague – £29.17 (€36.96)
Madrid – £37.68 (€47.74)
Dublin – £38.37 (€48.62)
London – £42.29 (€53.58)
Paris – £49.04 (€62.14)
Barcelona – £50.28 (€63.71)
Rome – £50.48 (€63.96)
Berlin – £52.67 (€66.73)
Vienna – £57.09 (€72.34)

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Easter might welcome spring weather

Index.hu refers to this week’s forecast of the National Weather Service, warning that weekdays are going to be cooler, and this will only change on the weekend, when spring finally arrives. Sunny and cloudy days both are to come, slight rains are probable, whereas, the temperature would increase even up to 20 degrees Celsius at the weekend.

On Tuesday, cloudy skies will be replaced by sunshine for hours in the north, while, in the south, the clouds will start to leave only in the second half of the day. Raining is highly likely in the south, especially in the south-west. Minimum temperature is expected to be of 0-6 degrees Celsius, in the north-east, however, it may be even lower. During the day it will rise to 8-13 degrees Celsius.

Wednesday is going to be an overcast day, slight showers are likely, mainly along the southern border. Temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius is predicted for the day, although the coldest could be around 0 degrees. According to the OMSZ (NWS) report, shared by Index, Thursday will bring the awaited sunshine, but showers are likely in some places, and even strong, stormy winds can appear. The temperature will be of 9-13 degrees. Friday will start as a sunny day, later changed by clouds that come from the north-west, with the temperature touching 10-14 degrees.

About the weekend: The more or less sunny Saturday might barely bring slight showers with a temperature of 14-17 degrees. Sunday though, promises no rain and a predominantly sunny weather of 16-20 degrees Celsius.

Copy editor: bm

11 amusing Hungarian customs to live your life by

Hungarian culture is filled with little traditions, prophecies and superstitions that provide a little, funny guidance on how to live a life filled with luck, love and fortune! Here are 11 of our favourites.

  1. Eat lentil stew on New Year’s Day
    Hungarians love lentil stew, but it’s a tradition to eat it on New Year’s Day. You can even go right ahead and eat it just after midnight on New Year’s Eve too. Basically, for Hungarians, the reason to eat lentil stew on January 1 is so that you’ll be beautiful and rich all year long. Too easy!
    Related article: NEW YEAR’S TRADITIONS IN HUNGARY
  2. Check the weather on February 2
    It’s notoriously hard to predict the weather in Hungary, but Hungarians say that if the weather is good on February 2 it’s going to be a long winter. The story goes something like this: if it’s sunny on February 2 the bears come out of their winter hibernation, they see their long shadows, and decide to go back to their caves for more slumber. It’s said that the bears go back to sleep for more 40 days, so this means that spring will only arrive once that additional 40 days are up, so spring will arrive a bit late.
  3. “Sándor, József, Benedek – zsákban hoznak meleget”!
    This rhyme in Hungarian says that Sándor, József, Benedek (whose name days are celebrated on March 18, 19 and 21) bring with them warm weather, but also forecast summer temperatures. For example, if there’s thunder on March 21 then it will be a dry summer.
  4. Sprinkle (or throw) water on girls at Easter
    Be a good sport if you’re a man. It is a Hungarian tradition to throw water or spritz perfume on women at Easter. It’s said to help the woman’s fertility, so what the hell!
  5. Hungary’s version of April Fool’s Day
    Hungarians call April 1 “Bolondok Napja”. Like in many other cultures the Hungarians play little pranks and pull jokes on others, especially in the morning.
  6. August 20 weather forecast
    August 20 forecasts the weather for the next 40 days; this means that whatever the weather is like on this day – so it will be for the next 6 weeks. There are many Hungarian folk traditions that relate to harvesting and what the dates say about the harvest. Along these lines: if the weather is good on Stephen Day then the fruit harvest will be plentiful, if the weather is bad the harvest won’t be good either.
  7. Lőrinc Day marks the end of watermelon season
    Lőrinc Day on September 5 marks the end of watermelon season because after that day the watermelon becomes over-ripe and that slushy consistency. It’s said Lőrinc pees in your watermelon giving it that horrible texture.
  8. Orsolya Day predicts Winter weather
    Orsolya Day on October 21 is said to predict how cold winter will be. So the tale goes, if the weather is good on Orsolya Day, it will remain nice weather all the way until Christmas.
  9. Eat goose on November 11
    Many Hungarians eat goose on Márton Day (November 11) because goose is said to be extra tasty then. Many restaurants even have special goose menus for that whole week. Also, the goose eaten on Márton Day is said to have weather forecasting properties. If the breast bone of the goose you’re eating is short and brown then winter will be quite muddy, while if it’s long and white there’ll be lots of snow!
  10. Be nice or you’ll get a virgács instead of sweet treats at Mikulás
    Mikulás is the Hungarian version of Saint Nicholson and he’s similar to Santa Claus. He visits on December 6 and usually leaves sweet treats in the little boots children leave out for him. BUT if you’ve been naughty you’ll get a “virgács” instead, which is a bundle of little sticks and twigs that symbolises Krampusz’ weapon!
    Related article: THE DAY OF SAINT NICHOLAS IN HUNGARY 
  11. Luca’s Chair
    On Luca Day (December 13) it’s a Hungarian superstition to start carving a wooden stool. It should be ready by Christmas and you stand on that chair at mass and you’ll be able to see who is the witch because they will grow horns. Then you have to run home as fast as you can leaving a trail of poppy seeds behind you. The witch has to pick up all the seeds so that will slow them down, but if they catch you the witch will tear you right up! If you make it home safely, you have to burn the stool.

By Ildi Amon

Read more about Hungarian traditions:
TRADITIONAL HUNGARIAN HOLIDAY FEASTS AND CUSTOMS FROM ADVENT TO EPIPHANY
FOUR DAYS TO PENTECOST – THE TRADITIONS AND HABITS OF PENTECOST
ST. MARTIN’S DAY TRADITIONS

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Photo: Lóránt Csákány, interetno.net

The most special Hungarian Easter egg

Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu writes that Europe’s best egg decorator, master of folk arts and crafts, Kati Zsigóné made a special ostrich egg as a surprise for this upcoming Easter. It took her months to make this valuable artwork designed with carvings and floral patterns with a rare technique. She amazes her audience with the most magical eggs from year to year; however, this year’s egg is truly unique.

“This year’s surprise was made with the most complicated technique: I carved traditional floral pattern into an ostrich egg. Since I’m very enthusiastic I work quickly: the carving procedure lasted for three weeks and so did the planning. I didn’t use any colours on the egg, it is only designed with the floral pattern, but I think that its originality makes it brilliant” said Kati.

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The carved ostrich egg is quite a valuable piece of artwork, its estimated value is around 600 000 forints.  Its value is increased by the floral pattern, the naturalism of the egg, the symmetry, which is taken from our traditions, and lastly: the rarely used carving technique. The folk artist’s works like this are usually bought by collectors and investors. She esteems herself lucky for being able to live the success of her work and for her creations becoming more and more valuable.

“The Queen of Egg Decorating” was chosen as one of the best five egg decorators in Dubai, and as the best egg decorator in Europe. She decorates almost 300 types of Easter eggs with twenty techniques while staring in eight branches of art. You can image that her apartment is up to a real museum.

To see more of her works, go to www.zsigonekati.com!

Photos: www.facebook.com/zsigone.kati.a.tojasdiszites.kiralynoje

Copy editor: bm

Easter in Hungary – Photo Gallery

Peter Gancs, the head of the Lutheran Church of Hungary, said “God decided that the impossible is possible”. He said tombs are usually closed once and for all and there is no permeation between life and death; this is the rule of nature. But what happened at the dawn of Easter was not unnatural but supernatural, he told the congregation. We collected the greatest pictures from MTI Photo Gallery to show Hungarian Easter.

Muhl

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Holloko

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Matyo style – Mezokovesd

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easter-hungary-7Szentendre

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easter-hungary-11Bujak

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easter-hungary-13Food Dedication – Csikszereda

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easter-hungary-16Food Dedication – Ungvar

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Photo: MTI

Two-meter egg in Pecs

In the presence of the Croatian Consul General and the Mayor Zsolt Pava, a large and unique Easter egg was unveiled, which is a present from the Croatian Kapronca-Koros County, pecsma.hu says.

The production of large Easter eggs is the project of Kapronca-Koros County. It was launched in 2007 and after a while it became part of the spiritual and cultural heritage. The program was designed to combine the traditional egg painting with naive painting. The project became known around the world and it was shown in several major cities like Prague, Vienna, London, Brussels, New York and Rome. tojás

Croatian naive painters have also joined in the painting of Easter eggs from the outset. Every year, less than 10 works are made in their workshops and they have already got many art awards. The egg, which was given to Pecs, was made by four painters and is decorated with the attractions of the city. In the following years, it will be exhibited in Pecs at Easter .

“This has been the 20th year of the operation of the Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia in Pecs, we are happy to commemorate the close relation between the two nations this occasion. Special thanks go to the city of Pecs, having made a lot for the Croatian community living there and thank to Kapronca-Koros for the gift” – Consul General Vesna Haluga said.

based on the article of pecsma.hu
translated by BA

Photos: MTI

Interesting Hungarian traditions

Being Hungarian people, we usually don’t think about what special customs characterize us and our country. Although these customs are completely natural for us, many foreign people may find them strange or interesting.

Maybe the most conspicuous thing for a foreigner is that Hungarians write their names inversely. The family name goes to the first place, followed by the given name. It is called eastern name order. What very interesting is that besides Hungary, only four Asian nation, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Singaporean use this order officially in the following countries: China, Japan, North-Korea, South-Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the members of the Chinese community in Malaysia.

Hungarians have another custom in connection with names: we celebrate namedays. Every first name have its own day in the calendar, based on historical events or religious traditions. While namedays are considered less important events than birthdays, Hungarian people usually present their loved ones on namedays with a bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers. However, this custom is not only a Hungarian speciality, Czech, Polish, Russian, Romanian and Slovakian people also celebrate their namedays, as well as people in Scandinavian and Baltic countries.

“Egészségedre” is generally one of the first Hungarian words that foreigners learns. At the same time, probably not everyone knows that it’s not only used when people clink glasses, but also when someone sneezes. Thus we use this word for “cheers” as well as for “bless you”. The word “egészségedre” salutes the health of the person whom it is told to, hence the coincidence.

There are many unique Hungarian traditions in connection with celebrating holidays. At Easter, Hungarian girls paint eggs with different methods. The most common way is to put a leaf on the egg, wrap it into a piece of nylon stockings, and boil it in water mixed with egg paint. After removing the leaf, its pattern will appear on the surface of the egg. Another nice way to decorate an egg is to “write” it with wax. Women draw patterns on the egg with melted wax, wait until it solidifies, and then put it into paint. Then they scrape the wax off the egg, and the patterns will appear in white. These eggs will be later given as a gift, when boys come to the house to sprinkle the young girls with water or cologne. The origin of this tradition is that people believed water has a cleaning, healing and fertilizing effect. These customs are still common, mainly in rural areas of Hungary.

On the day of Saint Nicholas, Mikulás, who is a similar figure to Santa Claus, comes to the Hungarian children to reward them. Children clean their boots and put them out in the window. By the next morning they will get something in the boots, depending on whether they were good or bad. Mikulás gives chocolate to those children who behaved well during the year, but those who were naughty only get “virgács”. It is a pile of gold-colored birch twigs wrapped in a piece of red paper, and it is meant to symbolize punishment. “Virgács” is given by a “krampusz”, who is a fearful and devilish creature, mostly represented with horns and long fur.

When Christmas comes, it is the Infant Jesus (“Jézuska”) who gives presents to the members of the family. Little children mostly don’t take part in decorating the Christmas tree, because they are told that angels bring the tree into the house while they are visiting a relative, or taking a walk with other family members. The family decorates the tree on the 24th of December, and they give presents to each other on the same evening. In many places the tree is decorated with “szaloncukor”. It is a little piece of bonbon in wrapping paper, available in many flavors: chestnut, coconut, banana, cherry, orange jelly and so on, all of them covered with chocolate. It’s fairly similar to the French candy Papillote, both of them have the same origin, the fondant.

On the 25th of December, most people stay home with the family to have a calm, pleasant day, or they visit their close relatives to celebrate together. Christmas is a family holiday in Hungary, the holiday of peace and love.

Many Hungarian people eat lentil stew on the first day of New Year, or throw lentil seeds on each other because it is believed to make them wealthy. Other traditional New Year’s meal is pork – in old times, people believed that the pig grubs the family’s luck out of the ground.

Of course there are hundreds of other traditions, originating from old times, which are not mentioned here. Also, it is possible that we have customs and habits which we wouldn’t think special or unique, but they are easily recognizable for someone who came from another country with a different cultural background.

Written by Zsofia Luca Szemes

Photo: www.magyarhirlap.hu